William j



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

'W. J. ANDERPUREN.

PORTABLE HOUSE.

No. 345,944. Patented July 20, 1886.

(No Model.) Sheets-Sheet 2. W. J. ANDERFUREN.

PORTABLE HOUSE. No. 345,944. Patented July 20, 1886.

2 d I 194%? J {ZTLK 4 A awuv/wbo z UNITED STATES ATFNT Crricn.

WILLIAM J. ANDEItFUREN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, OF

ONE-HALF TO JAMES EVA, OF SAME PLACE.

PORTABLE HOUSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3 3,944, dated July 20, 1886.

Application filed April 15, 1886. Serial No. 199,019. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. ANDER- FUREN, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an 5 Improvementin Portable Houses; and I here by declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

lVIy invention relates to that class of houses in which the parts are previously prepared in such a manner as to adapt them to be readily put together, and hence are generally known as portable houses.

My invention consistsin peculiarlygrooved corner and intermediate posts having remov- 1 5 able clamping plates or strips fitted to them; in siding having its ends prepared to fit the grooves of the posts and to be clamped therein by their plates,and its meeting edges tongued and grooved to form a novel overlapping 2o dovetail joint with each other and with the sills; in the window and door frames having dovetail tongues for fitting the dovetail grooves of the posts; in an outer top plate adapted to overlap the siding above; in an inner top plate or cornice overlapping the siding on the inner side, and in various details of construction, all of which Ishall hereinafter fully describe.

The object of my invention is to prepare the various parts of the house so as to adapt them to be readily fitted together, at the same time fully providing for the subsequent adjustment of the house by taking up the shrinkage easily and effectually and concealing it, and also to provide for the change of a door or a window from one point to another, or the insertion of a new one.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my house, 0 the principal parts being in cross-section for the purpose of showing the connection. Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section of a corner-post. Fig. 3 is a section of an intermediate post, showing the fitting of the window and of a par- 5 tition. Fig. 4 is a section of the siding,showing the fitting of their meeting edges. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the overlapping plates of the top.

A are the sills of the house. B are the corner-posts. C are the intermediate posts or studding. D is the siding; E, the windowframe. F is the ceiling. G are the rafters.

H is the roof. I is the outside top plate. J is the inside top plate or molding.

The cornerposts are longitudinally rabbeted out on their inner angles, forming two sharp grooves, b, in Fig. 2, one wall of each groove being beveled inwardly to form a dovetail.

A clamping plate or strip, b, completes the angle and contour of the post, and forms the third wall of the grooves b, which said wall is straight.

The clamping plates or strips b are secured to the posts by the screws [2 The intermediate posts, 0, are also rabbeted out on oppo- 6 site sides at their inner edges, forming two sharp grooves, 0, each with a beveled wall to make the dovetail, These posts are fitted with removable clamping-plates c, which, when secured to the posts by the screws 0, form a third and straight wall for the grooves.

The siding D has its ends prepared to dovetail into the grooves of the corner and intermediate posts, and is cut in lengths to extend only between the-posts. The siding is thus secured in the posts, being tightly bound by the clamping plates or strips and prevented from moving endwise by the dovetail joint.

The window-frame Ehas its upright'formed with dovetail tongues e, which fit in the dove- 8o tail grooves 0 of the intermediate posts, and are secured therein by the removable clamp ing plate or strip a of said posts.

The object of the construction, as far as described, is as follows: When the house is first put together,all the parts fit snugly;but when shrinkage occurs the siding will show gaps. \Vhen this takes place I have only to take off or loosen the several clamping-plates of all or any section of the house, whereupon, the sido ing being relieved, its several pieces drop down and close up the gaps. Then the clamping-plates are again tightened up to their places, so that they bind the siding and hold it firm.

Another object is being able to readily remove the siding of any section in order to change the place of any door or window, or to put a new one in. Now, in order to make the siding fit snugly together when readjusted as I have described, I tongue and groove their meeting edges in a novel manner, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. The edge of each plate has a long straight tongue, d, on the inner side and a short beveled tongue, 01, on the outer side, between which and the tongue (I is formed a sharp groove, d The opposite edge of each piece is formed with a long beveled tongue, (1", on the inner side to enter groove d in the edge of the adjoining piece, and an offset, d, on the outer side to receive the long tongue (1. This gives the appearance of ordinary rustic on the outer side, and the joint overlaps enough to provide for any requisite amount of adjustment.

In the sills A are made the same kind of grooves shown in Fig. 1, so that the siding fits them perfectly. The tops of all the posts are halved out, as shown in Fig. 5, and receive the outer top plate, I, just under the eaves. The tops of all the clamping-plates stop on the line of the lower edge of the plate I, and the inside top plate or molding, J, is let in above them.

The plates I and J are secured by bolts K through the posts. These plates, by over lapping the siding, give opportunity for con- Siderable adjustment after shrinkage without showing the gap at the top, which, of course, is the greatest, as it represents the entire shrinkage.

In Fig. 3 it will be observed that the clamp ing-plate 0 has a groove cut in it for the reception of a partition, L.

The door-frames are to be prepared in a manner similar to the windowl'ranies, so that they will be received and clamped in the posts, and allowed to be removed when necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- I. In a portable house, the upright parts or pieces and the independent removable plates or strips, forming, with said uprights, grooves having straight and dovetailed walls, within which the siding is clamped, substantially as described.

2. In a portable house, the upright parts or pieces having longitudinal rabbets formed with one bevel or dovetail wall, and removable clamping plates or strips fitted to the uprights, and forming, with the rabbets thereof, grooves for the reception of the siding, in combination with the siding having its ends "shaped to dovetail in the grooves, whereby it is secured therein and may be vertically adjusted, substantially as described.

3. In a portable house, the corner-post 13, having its inner angle rabbeted out to form straight and inclined walls, in combination with removable clamping'plates fitted to the post, and completing the inner angle and groove, said plate binding the siding on the groove, substantially as described.

4. In a portable house, the corner post B, having its inner angle rabbeted out to form grooves b, with one bevel or dovetail wall, and the removable clampplate b, fitted to the inner angle of the post, in combination with the siding D, having its end adapted to dovetail in the groove of the post and to be clamped by the plate, substantially as described.

5. In a portable house, the intermediate posts, 0, having their opposite sides at their inner edges rabbeted out to form straight and inclined walls for the reception of the siding, in combination with the removable clampplates 0, fitted to the inner sides of the posts, completing the grooves and binding thesiding, substantially as described.

6. In a portable house, the intermediate posts, 0, having their inner edges rabbeted out, with one side of the rabbet on a bevel or dovetail, and the siding D, having its ends cut to fit the rabbet of the posts, in combina tion with the removable clamping-plates c, fitted to'the inner face of the posts and binding the siding, substantially as described.

7. In a portable house, the window and door frames having on their upright portions a dovetail tongue, 6, in combination with the posts having dovetail grooves and removable clam ing strips or plates, as described, for binding the tongue of the window and door uprights in the grooves of the posts, substantially as described.

8. Ina portable house, the grooved posts and the siding fitted in the grooves of the posts and adapted to move therein to take up the shrinkage, as described, in combination with the outer top plate, I, halved in and bolted to the posts and overlapping the siding, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

9. In a portable house, the posts having longitudinal grooves, as described, the siding fitted in the grooves of said posts and adjustable therein, and the removable clampingplates bindingthe siding in said grooves, in combination with the outer top plate, I, and the inner top plate or molding, J, both plates being bolted to the posts and overlapping the siding, substantially as herein described.

10. In a portable house, the verticallyadjustable siding having on one edge a long straight tongue on the inner side, a short beveled tongue on the outer side, and an intervening sharp groove, and on the other edge a beveled tongue and offset to fit the first edge, substantially as described.

11. In a portable house, in combination with the uprights, grooved as described, and their clamping-plates, the siding D,fitting the grooves of the posts and bound by the clamping-plates, said siding having a meeting joint composed of the tongues d d and groove d on one side, and the tongue d and offset 01 In witness whereof I have hereunto set my on the other edge, substantially as described. I hand.

12. In a portable house, the vertically-adjustable siding D, having on one edge the l 5 tongues d d and intervening groove, 6?, in

WILLIAM J. ANDERFUREN.

combination with the sills A, cut out to re- Witnesses: ceive said edge of the siding, substantially as S. H. NoURsE, described. H. G. LEE. 

